We knew it would just be a matter of time before The Dalles lefty Mike Parke found his game again. Mike has been away from us for a couple of years and he’s been slow to find his old form this season. He shot lights-out last week in the Wednesday night Fraternal League at Hood River’s Orchard Lanes, where he rolled a huge scratch 767 series that was capped by a near-perfect 279 game. That effort was an amazing 224 pins over his average! We’ve never seen anybody bowl that many pins over their average.

In the past, we’ve referred to Mike as the doomsday striking machine, because when he gets in the zone, strikes seem to become automatic. That’s the way it was last week. His 767 set is the highest three-gamer rolled at Orchard Lanes this season. Clearly, Mike is ready to resume being one of the top bowlers in the state. He’s got the credentials. He’s won a bunch of big tournaments and his resume of award scores is quite impressive. Welcome back, Mike!

The rest of our team of the week stars are making encore appearances on the big five. Mike Bosse and Octavio Campos also had good outings in the Fraternal. Mike posted a nice scratch 224 game that propelled him 132 pins over his average. Mike has been a regular league bowler for years. Octavio is a relative newcomer to the 10-pin wars, but he’s got the bowling bug, having already basked several times in the limelight of success on the lanes. Octavio has shown steady improvement in the game, as evidenced by last week’s fine scratch 633 set that included scratch 224 and 214 games in the Fraternal. Octavio was 123 pins over his average.

Superstar Jeff Miller rounds out our fab five after firing a solid scratch 734 set that included a big 289 game in the Monday night Industrial League. Jeff, who is one of the top bowlers in the state, was 119 pins over his average.

Last week, we had 12 bowlers who topped their averages by over 100 pins. So, once again, we could have had two teams of the week! Are we in mid-season form now? Paul Dethman seems to be, as he rolled scratch 213 and 208 games in the Tuesday Nite Mixed League, which pushed him 104 pins over his average.

Excelling from the women’s perspective was flame-throwing right-hander Mary Finley, who scattered the sticks to the tune of an outstanding scratch 667 series in the Tuesday Nite Mixed. Mary finished her session 115 pins over her average. Jenna Hert bowled a consistent set in the Fraternal that was 114 pins over her average. And, Bernie Keys also climbed over that 600 milestone mark with a pretty, scratch 609 series that she notched in the Fraternal. Bernie was spurred on by a nifty scratch 242 game and she finished up her night’s work 102 pins over her average.

The Excavator Rental Services squad in the Industrial was driven to a 26-4 point win over the formidable Hood River Supply five not only by team of the week star Jesse Davis, but by his teammates: Spencer Johnisee, Zach Mohun and Mark Chabotte. Spencer was 111 pins over his average, Zach was 106 pins over his average, and Mark provided the firepower with a mighty-fine scratch 658 series. If you run into a buzz saw like that, you are lucky to win four points. Nice bowling ERS; that’s how to do it! Great bowling, everybody.